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Conor Grant appointed incoming Chairman of Racecourse Media Group
Conor Grant has been appointed incoming Chairman of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the umbrella organisation for 35 British racecourse shareholders and parent company of Racing TV.
Grant will initially join as a Non-Executive Director on April 1, 2023 and then succeed Roger Lewis as Chairman on October 1, 2023.
Grant, an enthusiastic racehorse owner, brings to the role 24 years of experience in the UK and Irish gambling sector, including 14 years in senior executive roles. He was most recently CEO of Flutter UK & Ireland, which includes brands Sky Bet, Paddy Power, tombola and Betfair and, prior to that, was Chief Operating Officer of Sky Betting & Gaming.
In 2021, RMG’s racecourse shareholders were paid £110m, a figure which will be exceeded for the media and data revenues generated in 2022. RMG is 100% owned by its racecourse shareholders and pays 100% of operating profit back to racecourses, which, in turn, benefits the sport. This collective and collaborative approach has enabled RMG’s businesses to become the biggest single funder of British horseracing.
Grant said: “I am delighted to be joining Racecourse Media Group at such an exciting time for the business and the broader racing industry. RMG has delivered outstanding results for its shareholders in recent years and I would like to pay tribute to Roger who has done a fantastic job, along with CEO Martin Stevenson, in growing and developing the business. I look forward to working with the RMG team and continuing to deliver for all of our racecourses”
Nevin Truesdale, CEO of The Jockey Club and Non-Executive Director on the RMG Board, said: “I am delighted to welcome Conor to the RMG Board and to be working with him as we further develop the business for the benefit of its shareholder racecourses. Conor brings significant and in-depth expertise to the industry, acquired over a long period of time, and this will help shape our strategies and address the challenges we are facing.”
Adam Waterworth, MD of Events at the Goodwood Estate and Non-Executive Director on the RMG Board, said: “Conor brings a wealth of experience to the role, particularly through his senior roles at Sky Betting & Gaming, and then Flutter. He is perfectly positioned to take RMG forward and help build and strengthen our relationships across the industry.”
Outgoing Chairman, Roger Lewis, joined the RMG Board in 2012 and was appointed Non-Executive Independent Chairman on January 1, 2019. During his time on the Board, RMG has increased its licence fees and dividend payments to its racecourses from £45m to over £110m. He was due to step down in 2022 but was asked by the Board to extend his tenure to help oversee the transition. Independent Non-Executive Director Andy Anson will also be stepping down, in April, having completed his full tenure on the RMG Board, which he joined in 2017.
Lewis said: “It is a tribute to the team at RMG that we have secured Conor as our next Chair and we all welcome Conor’s appointment. I am confident that Conor will take RMG to even greater heights in the years to come. On behalf of the RMG Board, I would also like to thank Andy Anson, who has been a much-valued friend and colleague of us all for the past six years, chairing our Audit committee with great skill and commitment.
“RMG is in great shape. We are about to announce record results for the past year and I congratulate the executive team at RMG for consistently delivering the best possible returns for our racecourses and the sport of horseracing”
Truesdale added: “I would like to pay tribute to Roger Lewis for a very effective and successful stewardship of RMG, a business which is of fundamental importance to the financial performance of racecourses and therefore to the whole sport of horseracing. On behalf of everyone at the Jockey Club, I would like to thank Roger for all he has done for the business.”
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Asia
S8UL signs Team Question Mark roster for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ahead of EWC 2026
The CIS-based EMEA lineup brings past EWC experience and titles including PUBG Global Series 8 as S8UL targets Riyadh qualification.
S8UL has signed the Team Question Mark (QM) roster to represent the organisation in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on PC ahead of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026. The deal was announced April 16 from Mumbai as S8UL prepares for the tournament in Riyadh, scheduled for July 21 to 26.
The CIS-based EMEA lineup includes:
- captain Roman Zinovev (ADOUZ1E),
- Andrey Ionov (Bestoloch),
- Mansur Tsimpaev (f1lfirst),
- Nikita Odobesku (Molodoct),
- and coach Yermek Torebekov (Ermaak).
S8UL said the roster will compete through the qualification pathway for a place in the 24-team event, which has a $2 million prize pool.
S8UL is adding a roster with a proven record in top-tier PUBG competition, including wins at PUBG Continental Series 7 Europe 2022 and PUBG Global Series 8 in 2025. The team has also posted a Top 3 finish at PUBG Global Series 2 in 2023 and a Top 7 finish at PUBG Global Championship 2022. The organisation said the roster has competed at both previous editions of the EWC in 2024 and 2025 and has amassed approximately $713,000 in total prize winnings.
Commenting on the move, Naman Mathur, Co-founder, S8UL said, “Signing the QM roster is a significant step for us as we continue to strengthen our presence in global esports. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is one of the most competitive titles in the world, and this team has consistently proven itself against the very best. At a broader level, this move reflects the direction S8UL is heading in. Over the past year, we have focused on building depth across our rosters and competing consistently at the highest level. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup 2026, we are committed to providing the team with the right support and resources as they aim to make a strong impact in the qualifiers as well as on the global stage.”
Roman Zinovev aka ADOUZ1E added, “Becoming part of S8UL is a big opportunity for us as a team. As a team, we’ve always believed in our ability to compete with the best in the world, and having the backing of a global organisation allows us to push even further. With the Esports World Cup coming up, we’re focused on working through the qualifiers and making sure we deliver performances that match our potential.,”
S8UL said the announcement follows its selection as a Club Partner by the Esports Foundation (EF), placing it among 40 global organisations. The organisation has also listed 13 titles it plans to enter for EWC 2026, including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EA Sports FC, FATAL Fury, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, MOBA Legends 5V5, Street Fighter 6, TEKKEN 8, and Trackmania.
Relevant data as follows:
- S8UL Esports: https://s8ul.gg/ Official organisation site for roster and announcement verification.
- PUBG Esports (PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS competitive updates): https://pubgesports.com/ Authoritative source for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS esports circuits, event results, and qualifiers.
- Esports World Cup (official site): https://esportsworldcup.com/ Event organiser site for EWC 2026 schedule, formats, and prize pool confirmation.
The post S8UL signs Team Question Mark roster for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS ahead of EWC 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI
Former German Air Force officer launches Sparky Space AI platform for iGaming teams
Nils Ristau and Daniel Schmitz debut a work enablement platform aimed at day-to-day execution across product, retention and AI adoption.
Sparky Space, a new AI-powered work enablement platform founded by former German Air Force officer Nils Ristau and tech leader Daniel Schmitz, has launched and is now available globally for iGaming operators and suppliers.
The founders are positioning the product around execution support inside daily workflows as teams face tighter regulatory demands, faster product cycles and higher player expectations. The company cited industry research suggesting only 10-20% of learning is consistently applied in day-to-day work, creating a gap between training and on-the-job outcomes.
“In military operations, performance depends on clarity, structure, and disciplined execution in changing environments,” said Ristau. “The iGaming industry operates under similar pressure.
“Competitive advantage does not come from knowledge alone – it comes from how effectively teams apply it every day.”
Sparky Space said its platform supports areas including product development, player retention and AI adoption, with use cases spanning customer-centric experimentation, agile product and game development, decision-making and prioritisation, practical generative AI prompting, and cross-functional collaboration. The company said the tools are intended to help teams launch features, respond to regulatory change, and optimise marketing and support processes.
While initially focused on iGaming, Sparky Space said it has been built for broader use in other fast-moving, technology-driven industries.
Relevant data as follows:
- Sparky Space: https://www.sparkyspace.com Official company site for product and launch details.
- UK Gambling Commission: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Regulatory context referenced in the article’s discussion of increasing compliance pressure.
- Malta Gaming Authority: https://www.mga.org.mt Key European regulator relevant to operators and suppliers navigating shifting regulation.
The post Former German Air Force officer launches Sparky Space AI platform for iGaming teams appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gambling in the USA
GGPoker sets $300m guarantee for 2026 GG World Festival series
Online poker festival runs May 3 to June 9 and includes a $3m leaderboard plus three $10m guaranteed flagship events.
GGPoker has announced the return of its GG World Festival tournament series, set to run from May 3 through June 9, 2026. The operator said the schedule will offer $300,000,000 in guaranteed prizes across the series, up from the $250m guarantee it offered last year.
The festival is split into four buy-in tiers: Low ($3–$25), Medium ($26–$150), High ($151–$1,050) and Super ($1,051+). GGPoker said the series will include hundreds of tournaments over five weeks.
GGPoker is also bringing back its festival leaderboard with $3,000,000 in additional prizes across the four tiers: $300K (Low), $700K (Medium), $1M (High) and $1M (Super).
Three events will anchor the schedule, each with a $10,000,000 guarantee: the $525 World Bounty Festival (Day 2) on May 18, the $10,000 GGMillion$ Main Event (Day 2) on May 25, and the $1,500 GG World Championship (Day 2) on June 1.
“Last year we set the bar at $250 million, and the community response was legendary,” said Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador. “But at GGPoker, we don’t just want to meet expectations; we want to smash them over and over again. This year, we’re going to $300 million. Whether you’re playing a $3 Low Tier tournament or the $10K GGMillion$ Main Event, you’re part of the biggest thing to ever happen in online poker. This is the stage where legends are made.”
Relevant data as follows:
- GG World Festival page on GGPoker: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/ggpoker-world-festival Primary source for dates, schedule structure and guarantees referenced in the article.
- GGPoker tournaments hub: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/ Supporting context on GGPoker’s tournament offerings and satellite qualifiers mentioned in the release.
- GGPoker homepage: https://ggpoker.com/ Company reference link for readers seeking broader operator information.
The post GGPoker sets $300m guarantee for 2026 GG World Festival series appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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